Even though I was born in Philly, I usually don't let on to this fact until I really have to use it. Usually right after the phrase "You Southerners..." or "Up north, we do it the right way..."

Well, I felt Southern today. For sure.

Instead of planning a meal or gallivanting to the local grocer for fresh ingredients, I decided to head to tried and true K&W Cafeteria.

K&W is like Picadilly, Luby's, or Bickford's. If you don't have one of these in your area, I'm sorry--you are truly missing out. K&W specializes in Southern fare. If you have a relative or friend visit who is not familiar with Southern cuisine, if you don't feel like cooking, or you just want a variety of food at a reasonable price, go to K&W.

Older Americans (baby boomers and up, is what I'm speaking of here) tend to flock to K&W in droves to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner there. The food is sold cafeteria style or a la carte. The food is always hot, always good, and always full of calories, so be careful. Not all Southern fare is full of trans fats and calories of which to be ashamed. In Winston-Salem, there are items available that meet the standards of Heart Center Dining Program at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. They taste good too.

I ordered NOTHING from the heart healthy menu today. NOTHING.

Behold: my dinner of fried chicken, biscuits, gravy,

macaroni and cheese, turnip greens, and coconut custard pie

I don't even like coconut custard pie. I ate it anyway.

Did you see the glasses of tea and water holding court over the tray of food?

I usually get my tea unsweetened because I cannot stand Southern sweet tea. Now that Starbucks is serving it, I feel as if I can't get away from it. I add Splenda to my tea. I'll use Equal if I have to. Today, Splenda and Equal went out to lunch too because the K&W location I went to had none. I almost cried. I thought the lady was kidding. 'Know what I did?

I was like putting sand in water. It did nothing. I asked for it to be taken off my ticket. I was not about to pay for mediocrity.

4
comments:

I had fried chicken... maybe 8 years ago... that photo made me drool. Really. I'm downloading the picture and will stare at it often. ;)

I had never heard of Sweet Tea until last year, and now it's everywhere. Even the gas stations sell it! Only in the warmer months, though, since there's not much of a call for it when the temp is 28 degrees.

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About Me

Nikki Miller-Ka is a professional food blogger and food critic based in North Carolina. She writes and bites about local and regional restaurant trends, solo travel and develops original seasonal recipes here on Nik Snacks.
In addition, she is the food editor at Triad City Beat newspaper, the Casual Dining columnist in the Greensboro News & Record and tour guide for Taste Carolina Gourmet Food Tours.
Miller-Ka was classically trained at Le Cordon Bleu College Of Culinary Arts in Miami and holds degrees in English from East Carolina University. Formerly, she’s been a judge for the James Beard Foundation, featured in Southern Living Magazine & New York Magazine, worked an editorial assistant, news reporter and guest blogger for various publications and outlets in the Southeast. She has worked as a catering chef, a pastry chef, a butcher, a baker, and a biscuit-maker.